You would think that with everything going on in the United States, the FBI would be pretty tied up these days. Who’s got time for trivial matters when there is an ongoing Russian hacking investigation, among many other things? Apparently, the organization does have enough bandwidth to look for a football jersey. But not just any jersey: Tom Brady’s jersey. It appears, per a league statement, that this thing got international and the big guns were needed:

Statement on the recovery of @Patriots Tom Brady jerseys pic.twitter.com/3htT0kWhA6

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 20, 2017

Not only was Brady’s 2017 Super Bowl jersey recovered, but it looks like his 2015 one was too.

The FBI isn’t the first super important law enforcement agency to be involved in this thing either. The Texas Rangers originally looked into the theft . The threads were valued at $500,000 dollars and Patriots owner Robert Kraft went a little overboard in his valuation of the jersey :

“It’s very sad to me that someone would do something like this. It’s like taking a great Chagall or Picasso or something. You can never display it. And somehow, I feel there’ll be some news that’ll clear this up in the not-too-distant future,” Kraft told Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo .

Now it appears that all is well, and Brady can have his sweaty grass-stained overblown T-shirt back for all time.

On Monday, the NFL announced on Monday that Tom Brady's jerseys from Super Bowl 51 and Super Bowl 49 have been found, thanks to the help of the NFL security department, the FBI, and the Houston Police Department.

The NFL said the jerseys "were found in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media." The Austin American-Statesman reported that the jerseys were found in Mexico.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that the Super Bowl 51 jersey was "stolen by someone posing as international media member."

Glazer elaborated further on Fox Sports' "Undisputed," saying the NFL, Patriots, and Houstin Police all watched security footage looking for clues before finding a person of interest, a credentialed media member, who entered the Patriots locker room after the game.

"That person of interest, from what I'm told, is an international member of the media. I don't believe he's actually a member of the media, but he was posing as a member of the international media. Got credentialed, it's been going on for some time. And he actually, from what I've been told, they have him going into the locker room right behind Bill Belichick, as if he's with the team. Goes in there, loiters around for a little while, and is seen leaving the locker room... with something under his arm."

Additionally, according to Glazer, the Broncos believe the same person who stole Brady's jerseys may have stolen Von Miller's helmet and/or cleats after the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 win.

Tweet Embed:https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/843815589386903553Proud @houstonpolice Major Offenders Divison traced Brady Jersey to Mexico & it has been recovered with help of FBI & Mexican authorities.

The Super Bowl 51 jersey went missing almost immediately after the game last month in Houston. Brady said he set it down at his locker and it was gone when he returned. The NFL and Houston police then began looking for it.

According to Glazer, authorities had to verify the jerseys were indeed Brady's and are expected to return them to Brady and the Patriots some time this week.

Let the outlet-identification countdown begin. Fox Sports NFL reporter Jay Glazer this morning tweeted the top of what will no doubt turn into today's biggest U.S. sports story. The missing jersey worn by Tom Brady during Super Bowl LI has been recovered on foreign soil. Glazer also shared this fascinating detail: NFL believes the jersey...

BOSTON (Reuters) - The football jersey that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wore in last month's Super Bowl victory in Houston, Texas, which disappeared hours after the game, has been found in Mexico, the National Football League and police said Monday.

Brady’s jersey went missing after Super Bowl LI, and there was a long and storied road to its recovery.

Tom Brady’s jersey, the one he wore during the New England Patriots historic comeback and overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, had been missing since shortly after the game ended. On Monday, the NFL announced the jersey had been found through the cooperation of the league’s security team and the FBI.

The jersey, valued at $500,000, would fetch a hefty price on the memorabilia market. The league said that the jersey had been found in the possession of someone who had posed as a member of the international media. That person is suspected to be C. Martin Mauricio Ortega, formerly of Mexican news organization La Prensa, though Ortega has not been charged with any crime at this point.

In an unexpected twist, the league also announced that this person also had Brady’s jersey from the Patriots Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks . Until Monday, that missing jersey hadn’t made headlines. But the fact that it had also been stolen may be part of the reason that the jersey from Super Bowl LI became such a big story.

Here’s a complete timeline of the theft and recovery of Tom Brady’s missing jerseys:

Ortega has been attending Super Bowls for over a decade, and met Brady in Jacksonville when the Patriots beat the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports . Ortega took a photo with Brady, which is generally a frowned-upon practice for credentialed media members. For the record, so is stealing jerseys.

Brady and the Patriots executed a dramatic comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons, taking a Super Bowl to overtime for the first time in NFL history. After the game, Brady discovered that his jersey was missing . He appeared to be “flustered” and immediately enlisted help from team equipment managers and security personnel.

Patrick cited the state of Texas’ commitment to hospitality as he charged the Texas Rangers (the law enforcement agency, not the baseball team ) with finding Brady’s missing jersey.

"In Texas we place a very high value on hospitality and football," Patrick said, according to the Texas Tribune . " Tom Brady's jersey has great historical value and is already being called 'the most valuable NFL collectable ever.' It will likely go into the Hall of Fame one day. It is important that history does not record that it was stolen in Texas."

Feb. 8, 2017 - Houston police chief is less than enthused about tracking down the jersey

The Houston Police Department was also on the case, as it was clearly its jurisdiction. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tried to keep things in perspective.

“It might be the highest priority for [the] lieutenant governor,” Acevedo said via The Statesman . “I can tell you we had three homicides the night of the Super Bowl in the city of Houston, and we’d like to find it. But I don’t think we’re burning the midnight oil worrying about a jersey.”

Law enforcement hoped that the jersey, and James White’s game-winning touchdown ball, would be found on the Patriots equipment truck . The truck had not been thoroughly searched, but when it was unloaded, the jersey was not there. White’s touchdown ball was found , though details on its recovery are unavailable.

“It’s very sad to me that someone would do something like this. It’s like taking a great Chagall or Picasso or something. You can never display it. And somehow, I feel there’ll be some news that’ll clear this up in the not-too-distant future,” Kraft said to Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo .

Yes, he really said that .

Feb. 21, 2017 - Brady’s jersey valued at $500,000 in police report

Maybe the jersey isn’t quite as valuable as priceless works of art , but $500,000 is still a pretty penny. That’s how it was valued in a Houston Police Department report obtained by TMZ .

Brady’s elaborate suspect board included Lady Gaga , Gollum, and Julian Edelman. It did not, however, appear to include anyone posing as a member of the international media. So maybe this investigation was better left to professionals.

March 20, 2017 - Brady’s Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl XLIX jerseys are recovered with help from the FBI

The NFL confirmedJay Glazer’s report that league security, working in tandem with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, had recovered Brady’s missing jerseys . The jerseys were found in the possession of a person who had posed as a member of the international media, according to the league’s statement.

One might think the FBI would have more pressing issues to attend to, but it had to become involved because the theft of Brady’s jerseys was an international issue.

Glazer said on Fox Sports’ Undisputed on Monday that the person who took the jersey had followed Bill Belichick into the Patriots locker room after the game. Video from the locker room revealed that this “person of interest” was carrying a backpack and left with something under his arm.

Acevedo tweeted that the Houston Major Offenders division had located the jerseys in Mexico. He confirmed that the jerseys had been recovered with assistance from Mexican authorities. According to the Associated Press , the Houston Police Department was operating off of a tip from an informant.

The NFL is referring all questions about the case to the FBI, because the investigation is ongoing. The FBI’s satellite office in Boston currently has both jerseys and is working to authenticate them, according to the Associated Press report.

March 20, 2017 - The jersey thief also had a Broncos helmet believed to be Von Miller’s

Glazer noted that the same person may have taken Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller’s helmet following Denver’s win. A Broncos helmet was found in his possession , and the team believes it is the one Miller wore during his MVP performance in Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win. The helmet is currently considered evidence, but it will be returned to the Broncos, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post .

La Prensa, a Mexican news organization, released a statement Monday afternoon indicating that Ortega, a former executive with the organization, had been involved in the jersey theft.

The statement confirms that Ortega resigned from his position with La Prensa on March 14, and his resignation was accepted. La Prensa was unaware of his involvement in the jersey theft at the time of his resignation and reacted to the news “with total surprise and disappointment.”

During the week of the Super Bowl, Ortega reportedly had multiple items signed by former players, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports . These items included a jersey signed by Kurt Warner and a book signed by Emmitt Smith. Getting autographs is prohibited for credentialed media members.

Ortega was reportedly seen at sports memorabilia auctions near the NFL Experience during Super Bowl week auctioning off items he owned. Edholm said that when authorities executed the search warrant at his home, an entire room of NFL memorabilia was found.

Later in the day, Jay Glazer is on The Herd, and footage of the heist is shown.

March 23, 2017 - The jersey is returned to New England

The sage officially came to an end with the return of the jersey on Thursday, March 23.

“It was great to have both jerseys returned to Gillette Stadium today,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. I don’t know that any agency could have accomplished this independently, but collectively multiple agencies - both in the U.S. and in Mexico - worked together to achieve the goal of retrieving the stolen property.

“It is another example of the importance of teamwork and what can be accomplished when everyone works together. We appreciate the effort of everyone involved and look forward to returning these jerseys to Tom when he gets back to New England."

April 3, 2017 - Robert Kraft returns both jerseys to Tom Brady

We all thought it was finished, but the saga continued Monday. Patriots owner Robert Kraft returned both missing jerseys to their rightful owner.

April 5, 2017 - The jerseys were found with the help of a 19-year-old Patriots fan in Seattle

The jerseys would not have been found without the help of Dylan Wagner, a 19-year-old Patriots fan and memorabilia collector in Seattle . Wagner sold a jersey to Ortega in December 2016, and the two exchanged photos of their collections. Ortega’s collection prominently featured Brady’s Super Bowl XLIX jersey, which stood out to Wagner. His photos gave law enforcement the evidence needed to secure a search warrant.

Tom Brady’s missing jersey from Super Bowl LI has been found after a nearly two-month-long search following the New England Patriots’ historic victory over the Atlanta Falcons in February.

According to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo , the jersey was recovered in Mexico by the Houston Police Department with help from the FBI and Mexican authorities.

The NFL also released a statement on the ongoing investigation, explaining that the jersey — along with another worn by Brady at Super Bowl XLIX — was found in the possession of a “credentialed member of the international media.”

“Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots’ security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn last month by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered,” the NFL said. “Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.”

Statement on the recovery of @Patriots Tom Brady jerseys pic.twitter.com/3htT0kWhA6

On Monday morning, the NFL announced that the FBI helped them and the New England Patriots find Brady's jersey that has been missing since his historic performance against the Atlanta Falcons in the 51st Super Bowl. Brady's jersey from Super Bowl XLIX

This article originally appeared on www.rollingstone.com: FBI Locates Tom Brady's Missing Super Bowl Jersey in Mexico

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It took a manhunt that used more resources than would be involved if you or I were to go missing ( including the FBI , the Texas Rangers , and even Mexican authorities). But the jersey, a piece of clothing that a human wore for a few hours, was finally—FINALLY—located.

Now the mystery deepens as we try to figure out who—WHO INDEED—would besmirch the honor of Tom Brady—nay! AMERICA!—and presume they could get away with such a dastardly deed. Read more...

On Monday, we learned that Tom Brady’s missing jersey from Super Bowl LI was found by the FBI . The jersey he wore in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks was found too, something none of us knew was missing in the first place. The primary suspect? A member of the international media.

But there was one more plot twist.

FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer says that the same person may have taken Von Miller’s helmet and possibly his cleats from Super Bowl 50.

. @JayGlazer : The culprit that took Tom Brady's jersey after Super Bowl 51 may have also taken Von Miller's helmet following Super Bowl 50. pic.twitter.com/U1DYm7s2te

NFL is reviewing a retrieved #Broncos helmet found in conjunction of the Tom Brady jersey investigation.

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) March 20, 2017

Wolfe added that while the helmet — believed to potentially belong to Von Miller — is considered evidence, it will be returned to the Broncos .

This would be quite the heist if this individual was able to get all of that memorabilia. That’s three consecutive Super Bowls in which they took prized items from MVPs. He was a pair of pants away from a full uniform.

It couldn’t have been much consolation, but Miller did get some awesome new cleats from Adidas shortly after the Super Bowl.

Everyone has a weakness. S/O @adidasfballus for my new secret weapon. #Freak#3StripeLifepic.twitter.com/VldaynNldl

— Von Miller (@Millerlite40) February 11, 2016

It really makes you wonder how somebody could pull something like that off in three consecutive Super Bowls without getting caught. At least, not immediately. The Super Bowl is supposed to be one of the most secure events in the United States yearly, yet something like this happened.

The case of Tom Brady's stolen Super Bowl jersey took a bizarre turn on Monday when the NFL confirmed that the jersey, along with a second Brady jersey from Super Bowl 49, had been found in the possession of a "credentialed member of the international media."

The jerseys — with the Super Bowl 51 jersey valued at $500,000 — were recovered as part of an investigation involving the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that the jersey was recovered in Mexico.

Now Fox Sports 1 has obtained video showing who they say is the suspect in the case. That footage was aired on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd."

The suspect can be seen entering the Patriots' locker room after Super Bowl 51, carrying a bag on one shoulder just a few people behind Bill Belichick. Later, he is seen leaving the locker room with something under his left arm.

"We're not saying that's who did it," Glazer said. "But that is absolutely a video and a suspect that they have zoned in on."

While we don't know how long the suspect was in the locker room, as he is is leaving, players can be seen still entering the locker room. The suggestion is that he was not in the locker room very long.

Glazer also reported that the suspect may not be an actual media member, and may also be a suspect in the disappearance of Von Miller's helmet and/or cleats after the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 victory.

Glazer also suggested that this was possibly a premeditated crime as opposed to a crime of opportunity committed by a media member who just happened to stumble upon the jersey.

"I don't believe he's actually a member of the media, but he was posing as a member of the international media," Glazer said on Fox Sports 1.

You can see Glazer and Colin Cowherd discuss the video here:

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On Monday, the NFL announced that it had tracked down Brady's game-worn jersey, which went missing after his victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl 51.

NFL security, working with the FBI and the Houston Police Department, found the missing jersey, along with Brady's missing jersey from Super Bowl 49, in Mexico.

The league said that the jerseys "were found in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media."

On the FS1 show "Undisputed", NFL insider Jay Glazer provided additional details about the saga, which he prefaced by saying that if he pitched this story as a screenplay, Hollywood executives would laugh him out of the room for writing something too unbelievable.

Here's how Glazer explained the situation:

"The FBI, along with NFL security, Patriots security, and Houston P.D., they went through all this video to try and track somebody down. ... And they zeroed in on a person of interest. That person of interest, from what I'm told, is an international member of the media. I don't believe he's actually a member of the media, but he was posing as a member of the international media."

This suspect, Glazer reports, has been up to these tricks for years:

"[He] got credentialed, it's been going on for some time. And he actually, from what I've been told, they have him going into the locker room right behind Bill Belichick, as if he's with the team. Goes in there, loiters around for a little while, and is seen leaving the locker room... with something under his arm."

After pouring over the video and landing on the person of interest, Glazer says, the investigation had to work with authorities in Mexico in order to get the stolen goods back onto U.S. soil.

From there, the jerseys had to be authenticated in order to confirm that they were legitimately worn by Brady during the Super Bowls. With all of that taken care of, Glazer reports, the jerseys will be returned to the Patriots sometime this week.

But the story doesn't end here.

Glazer noted that the Denver Broncos also believe that this person of interest may be the person who took Von Miller's helmet and/or cleats after the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 victory.

After Glazer explained the situation, show host Skip Bayless asked what many have wondered — why did the FBI need to get involved?

Glazer provided two reasons. First, the FBI got involved when the case moved overseas. Second, Brady's jersey from Super Bowl 51 is, according to Glazer, valued at $500,000, which was the estimate placed on what the jersey might fetch in an auction. According to Glazer's sources, the thief may have a slew of other items, meaning the total sum of stolen goods could be worth over a million dollars. Considering how much money was taken overseas, Glazer noted, the FBI had no choice but to get involved.

In the end, the case may be nearing closure, but not all the details have reached the public. Glazer said he was working to track down the video that helped the investigators identify the thief, whose name has not been revealed.

Until that happens, let's all take some solace that Tom Brady finally his jersey back.

Earlier today , the NFL announced that authorities had recovered Tom Brady’s missing Super Bowl LI jersey , as well as the quarterback’s jersey from Super Bowl XLIX. As more evidence about the case has been released, the story has gotten even more bizarre.

Tom Brady's missing Super Bowl 51 jersey has been found, thanks to a joint investigation by NFL security, the Houston Police Department, and the FBI.

The reported suspect is a Mexican journalist named Mauricio Ortega , who resigned from the tabloid newspaper La Prensa on March 14 citing personal reasons.

As a result of the investigation, Brady's jersey from Super Bowl 49, which had also gone missing, was found, reportedly along with gear from Super Bowl 50 belonging to Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller.

On Tuesday, NFL insider Jay Glazer released security footage he said he obtained from the Super Bowl that shows Ortega entering the Patriots' locker room, milling about (and even looking directly at the camera), and then quickly leaving with something tucked under his arm.

Glazer told FS1 host Colin Cowherd that he had more than two hours of footage but cut it down to about two minutes to give the viewers a clear sense of what happened.

First, we see Ortega on the field after the end of the game:

FS1

Then he joins an entourage of people behind Patriots coach Bill Belichick and walks into the locker room.

This is well before the media were allowed into the locker room. According to Glazer, Ortega did not have the proper pass to be in the locker room at this time.

FS1

He lingers around the locker room, which Glazer said other reporters were not yet in. Ortega looks directly at the camera:

FS1

Shortly after, Ortega leaves the locker room with something tucked under his left arm:

FS1

As he exits the tunnel, he looks back toward the security guards.

According to Glazer, Brady's jersey from Super Bowl 51 is valued at about $500,000 — the estimated value the jersey would have fetched in an open auction.

Here's the full segment, via FS1:

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On Monday morning, moments before James Comey, the director of the F.B.I., confirmed the existence of one of his agency’s investigations—the one into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia—news broke about the results of another one. The F.B.I. had helped track down the jersey worn by the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during last month’s Super Bowl, in Houston, which had gone missing in the moments following the game and was valued at about half a million dollars. According to a statement by the N.F.L., the jersey had “been found in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media.” Houston’s police chief, Art Acevedo, whose department had worked with the F.B.I. and other law-enforcement agencies on the case, announced that the jersey had been located in Mexico, and the credentialled media member in question was soon identified as Mauricio Ortega, who, until last week, had been the head of the Mexican newspaper La Prensa. He had been caught on video leaving the Patriots’ locker room with what appeared to be Brady’s jersey hidden beneath his shirt. In a further twist, Ortega, when confronted by authorities, reportedly turned over a number of items in addition to the jersey, including a helmet likely worn by the Broncos linebacker Von Miller in last year’s Super Bowl, and the jersey that Brady wore in the Super Bowl before that.

See the rest of the story at newyorker.com

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The piece of NFL history was allegedly stolen from Brady after the Patriots quarterback led a comeback win in Super Bowl 51 last month.

Now the shirt has been reportedly traced to a Mexican newspaper editor — and security footage apparently shows just how Brady's jersey was allegedly swiped.

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The New York Times reported Monday that stadium camera footage helped FBI agents identify Mauricio Ortega, a newspaper editor in Mexico City, as its prime suspect in jersey-gate. Then on Tuesday, Fox Sports shared footage from inside Houston's NRG Stadium that allegedly shows Ortega making off with Brady's jersey. Read more...